forgotten words

I came across this phrase in a book yesterday "FENDER SKIRTS".
A term I haven't heard in a long time and thinking about "fender
skirts" started me thinking about other words that quietly disappear
from our language with hardly a notice

Like "curb feelers" and "steering knobs." (AKA) suicide knob
Since I'd been thinking of cars, my mind naturally went that
direction first.Any kids will probably have to find some elderly
person over 50 to explain some of these terms to you.

Remember "Continental kits?"They were rear bumper extenders and
spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a
Lincoln Continental.

When did we quit calling them "emergency brakes?"At some point
"parking brake" became the proper term. But I miss the hint of drama
that went with "emergency brake."

I'm sad, too, that almost all the old folks are gone who would call
the accelerator the "foot feed."

Didn't you ever wait at the street for your daddy to come home, so
you could ride the "running board" up to the house?

Here's a phrase I heard all the time in my youth but never anymore
- "store-bought." Of course, just about everything is store-bought
these days. But once it was bragging material to have a store-bought
dress or a store-bought bag of candy.

"Coast to coast" is a phrase that once held all sorts of excitement
and now means almost nothing. Now we take the term "world wide" for
granted. This floors me. On a smaller scale, "wall-to-wall"
was once a magical term in our homes. In the '50s, everyone covered
his or her hardwood floors with, wow, wall-to-wall carpeting! Today,
everyone replaces their wall-to-wall carpeting with hardwood floors.
Go figure.

When's the last time you heard the quaint phrase "in a family way?"
It's hard to imagine that the word "pregnant" was once considered a
little too graphic, a little too clinical for use in polite company
So we had all that talk about stork visits and "being in a family
way" or simply"expecting."

Apparently "brassiere" is a word no longer in usage. I said it the
other day and my daughter cracked up. I guess it's just "bra" now
"Unmentionables" probably wouldn't be understood at all.

I always loved going to the "picture show," but I considered
"movie" an affectation.
Most of these words go back to the '50s, but here's a pure-'60s word
I came across the other day - "rat fink." Ooh, what a nasty
put-down!

Here's a word I miss - "percolator." That was just a fun word to
say. And what was it replaced with? "Coffee maker." How dull. Mr.
Coffee, I blame you for this.

I miss those made-up marketing words that were meant to sound so
modern and now sound so retro. Words like "DynaFlow" and
"Electrolux." Introducing the 1963 Admiral TV, now with
"SpectraVision!"

Food for thought - Was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago?
Nobody complains of that anymore. Maybe that's what castor oil
cured, because I never hear mothers threatening kids with castor oil
anymore.

Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list.
The one that grieves me most "supper." Now everybody says "dinner."
Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts.

Someone forwarded this to me. I thought some of us of a "certain
age" would remember most of these. Just for fun, Pass it along to
others of "a certain age"!

Some words aren't gone, but are definitely on the endangered list.The one that grieves me most "supper." Now everybody says "dinner."Save a great word. Invite someone to supper. Discuss fender skirts.

That's so funny, because the word 'supper' has ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS bugged me. It's so annoying!! Just say dinner!!

Whoa, When did 50 get to be elderly? I resemble that remark!

Ok most of those words were foreign to me....and I'm not that young....but I have a percolator (and its new and electric...I remember my mom used hers on the stove) and I use the word "dinner" to feed the 4 leggeds and "supper" to feed the 2 leggeds

I love this post....

As far as supper/dinner goes, the term dinner drives me NUTS My husband calls it dinner, and I always want to correct him... I don't, but I do correct the kids if they pick up on his terms LOL

Why IS there such a descrepancy?
I know in England supper is the term for late night snack... so why was I raised to refer to the "evening meal" as supper?
Why wasn't my husband?!

We have our 'dinner' around noon and our supper in the
evening.
But I am right there with you on most of the rest, however,
I never did ride the running board!

You have me thinking now. Many words have gone by the
wayside, and it seems such a shame. Our young people
may never know....
If you read much you probably notice how much more descriptive
and flowery language was a hundred years ago. We've already
lost that.

Shellie

Oh boy! Memories......... Thank you!

Not all cars had the "steering knobs" when I was a kid, but I use to think they were "sooo cool". Yep! Curb feelers and fender skirts.

When mom and dad used the emergency brakes we were parked on "hills". I remember having the emergency brake between the seats and actually had to use them in an emergency when the regular brakes failed. Maybe you can't do that anymore so they changed the name???

I never rode on the "running board", but I remember trying to out run the "board".

I still use the phrase "store-bought" or "this one's new" when talking about things I didn't buy at yard sales, the Goodwill, auctions, etc.....

"Unmentionables", how about "sanitary napkins and the famous "sanitary belt"! What were they called before that?

I always considered it "dinner" if I went out to eat, anywhere but fast food. It's "supper" here too. I remember going to homes where it was called "dinner" and you sat stiff as a board, minimal talking, prim and proper. "Supper is a "family affair" after prayer.

This is kind of a funny thread....I actually had to describe to collie what a perulator was....she had no idea...my mom still has the electric plug in kind, but for years we had a glass one that heated on the stove...

as a kid in the morning, I loved to watch it perk...

I recognized almost all those terms. My mom still uses many of them.

I guess it depends on where you grew up, what phrases were popular and which weren't.

How about a "pressure cooker" or an "electric frying pan"?

My kids tease me all the time when I say "Open the light" instead of "Turn on the light"...(french translation )

"Sunday supper" seems to sound more family-oriented and "Sunday dinner" sound more formal, like when you have guests over for dinner.

We use both....but never use dinner for lunch...like some people do.

I grew up where supper was an informal evening meal. Family participation was a given. Dinner was more formal, and implied company and company manners. For some reason, on Sundays, the big meal was called dinner and was very early afternoon. Supper was at 5:30 pm--sharp! Monday through Fridays. Saturdays, it depended on the season. If there was nothing to take my dad away (ie, hunting or fishing), we had supper; otherwise it was a kind of make your own supper day.

I thought they were still called emergency brakes. I still have to force myself to say CD instead of album.

My kids will probably never use the word "dinner" because that is what we feed the dogs, even the dogs morning meal is called "dinner' by us.

In my house "dinner" was the BIG meal of the day, sometines at noon sometimes in the evening. "Supper" on the other hand was a lighter meal served at night if you had "Dinner" at noon time. As in SUnday DInner after church and Sunday "supper", sandwiches or soup in the evening.

What about the little side pushout windows? I loved those!

Fly windows? Vent windows?

We called them vent windows.....in fact we still had them on our last car.....a Wagoneer......what was the year 1989++??

sheepieboss

Anonymous wrote:

We called them vent windows.....in fact we still had them on our last car.....a Wagoneer......what was the year 1989++??

sheepieboss

The Jeep Cherokee classic body style kept those for a long time.We always call them smoking windows because they were excellent for sucking cigarette smoke and ashes out without having to open the whole window and freezing the passengers. Now that none of us smoke anymore, I find those windows much less useful.

Vent windows!!! YEAH!!! That's it!!!

Those were great when we all used to smoke. Speaking of smoking, I don't think there are lighters in cars anymore, are there?

Does anyone else remember having a car with a little pull lever on the side of the car forward of the door near the floor for opening a vent?

Oh Lord...I'm old

Nothing about this post seemed odd or outdated. Probably because we are still finishing up the restorations on our '63 Mercury. If it wasn't for that, I think I'd have been in the dark.

And we have the pull lever for opening the vent on that car.

Plus the vent window is the one you broke when you locked your keys in the car. It was easy to fix compared to the side "window" and could always be taped shut with.... duct tape!

Of course that was in the day when reaching your arm in (or a child's smaller arm!) and pulling up on the handle would actually open the door even if it was locked.

Man! ALL those terms take me back!! I really AM old!!

Ron Wrote:

Quote:

Does anyone else remember having a car with a little pull lever on the side of the car forward of the door near the floor for opening a vent?

LOL, I remeber those, my Mom's Volare had those.

Our family calls the vent windows "no drafts." We smokers would like to have them back.

I've gone through 3 "Mr. Coffee" type coffeepots in the last year. I said when this one breaks, I'm getting a electric percolator. I didn't realize how expensive they were.

What a nice trip down memory lane I've had reading this thread.
Now I want a perculator. I remember making coffee for my grandpa in one when I was a kid. Did your grandpa "saucer" his coffee like mine did?

debcram wrote:

Vent windows!!! YEAH!!! That's it!!!

Those were great when we all used to smoke. Speaking of smoking, I don't think there are lighters in cars anymore, are there?

Miss vent windows

This thread is making me hungry,

I am going to raid the

ice box !

Your ice box is older than our Frigidaire.
While you're reminscing about Hoodsie pushups and milk bottles with caps with the little inserts in them, why not put a stack of 78's (or 45's on the special changer spindle adapter) on the record player?

While you are at it, could you adjust the rabbit ears on the black and white television set that is on long, skinny legs about 16 inches high?

And turn the volume up...the knob is broken off so you will need the screw-driver to get in there.

Bosley's mom wrote:

While you are at it, could you adjust the rabbit ears on the black and white television set that is on long, skinny legs about 16 inches high?

And turn the volume up...the knob is broken off so you will need the screw-driver to get in there.

A Tab would be good right about now.

My car and SUV have lighters AND ash trays! YEAH!!! Girdles. Stockings - nylon hose. Nightcaps weren't something to drink. Bonnets. OH, and that sexy line up the back of the leg! The Jackie Kennedy hair style. "Captain Kangaroo", before school. AmFm radios with the cute little antenna. I'm startin' to feel quite young again!

Mouthypf (Pam)

Pepsi in a glass bottle! The best!!!!!!!!!!!

My mother was quite fond of an early Pepsi radio jingle:

Pepsi-Cola hits the spot
Twelve full ounces that's a lot.
Twice as much for your nickel, too.
Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you.

I miss having bench seats in the front of a car vs bucket seats. Bench seats were great for going to the Drive-In movie theater!

I occasionally DJ and spin vinyl records (brand new releases, not oldies) and sometimes a mother will bring their child over and show him/her what a vinyl record & turntable is. That really made me feel old!

Plus I'm from the B&W TV generation & I remember when we first got Cable television.

I love this! There are so many things from the past that I miss. There is a catalogue called "The Vermont Country Store" (I think) that has lots of the old things, like Sweetheart soap, Evening in Paris cologne, all sorts of old time candy. I love looking through it.

I still call the remote the "Clicker". Remember when they used to click...and the dial on the tv clicked when you "turned" it?

debcram wrote:

Vent windows!!! YEAH!!! That's it!!!

Those were great when we all used to smoke. Speaking of smoking, I don't think there are lighters in cars anymore, are there?

You're right, they don't have lighters in cars anymore. Instead, they're capped "outlets". If you want them to be lighters instead, and to have an ash-tray, you pay to upgrade to the "smoker's package".

I'm lost on the rest of this thread, but I do remember old cars.

Remember when you had to pull the choke to get the car to start when it was cold?

I remember that we had an old Lincoln Continental way back when....like it was old and this was 40 years ago... As my dad would pass cars on the road he would put it into "passing gear"..

Not sure what that was all about... because I'm sure it wasn't a manual transmission...

And he always had an open beer between his legs..

Nicole Wrote

Quote:

Not sure what that was all about... because I'm sure it wasn't a manual transmission...

And he always had an open beer between his legs..

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

"Passing Gear" was the automatic kickdown on an automatic transmission.

There are (at least!) two ways an automatic will drop down a gear: 1) if the speed is too slow and the load on the tranny from the engine is high, and 2) when the accelerator was "floored" there was a mechanical linkage that would kick down the transmission one gear.

I don't know if modern trannys still have that linkage, but I know that my 1976 Comet had one .

Quote:

Remember when you had to pull the choke to get the car to start when it was cold?

Oh my does that take me back! I learned to drive in a '63 Willys
and drove that for a long time. Of course it was 20 years old even
then. You had to pull the choke knob every time you started it -
cold out or not. It was not possible to go into first without stopping
completely. My dad told me if I could learn to drive that I could
drive anything, and he was right. It had the huge steering wheel and
you had to practically stand on the break to stop.
He mounted one of the old mac bulldogs on the hood for me. I can't
tell you how many people still talk about my old Jeep when I run into
them and haven't seen them in a long time. It's one of those things
that really stuck in people's minds over the years.
I drove the only Jeep at the highschool, and I thought
it was So not cool. Went to graduation and prom in it, and mud
splashed up through the hole in the floor and onto my white dress.
I sort of miss the old simpler cars - much easier to fix!

Shellie

Go Go Boots,Maxi coats ,bell bottoms

Or Pacers or Gremlins and (Pinto's with the exploding gas tank). These were cars by the way.

They still sell Tab at Vons.

I've been in the car biz for many, many years. I had worked for a really nice man who had a Pontiac dealership in the early 80's.

He told me his first dealership was a Mercedes/Studebaker franchise in the 50's. He told me he was such a great business man and could so clearly see the business future, that he was on the phone with the factory every day, begging them to take back the Mercedes!

He said they finally did, and a year later, he was selling stoves at Polk Brothers appliances!

Even back then, some of us out smarted ourselves

A nightcap - something worn on the head, not a drink.

Silk stockings with the line up the back of the leg. The Jackie Kennedy hairdo, the Beatles, the Ed Sullivan Show, Dick Clark's American Bandstand Show.........

Ice chest - the big red boxes at gas stations, filled with drinks, ice and water. Had the bottle opener on the side.

Outhouses - "even at gas stations". I went in one when I was a kid and someone had written, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera" on the inside of the door. I didn't know whether to smile or .

Mouthypf (Pam)

Las Vegas Sheepie Lover wrote:

Or Pacers or Gremlins and (Pinto's with the exploding gas tank). These were cars by the way.

They still sell Tab at Vons.

We had an AMC Matador. I'd love one of those now!

I had a Gremlin. LOL It was orange with purple stripes. My mom had a Bobcat...

my dad at seperate times HAD a pacer and a gremlin....lol...mom had the boring ltd station wagon with the fake wood sides.....

I can remember gas at 11 cents a gal. cigarettes were 10cents a pack.
margerine came in a plastic bag with a red dot you had to squeeze
to get the color yellow.lol Big magnifying glass in front of a t.v. that
was tinted green(first color set) lol only problem everything was green.
Whatever happened to knickers? How about the hoodsie caps with
stars pictures inside them? Or anyone remember pea shooters?
Or the potato gun that used to shoot pieces of potato at you?
I recall making my own bow and arrow then swiping the tire stem caps
that were metal then and putting them on the ends of my arrows then
hammer them flat so I could shoot them into trees lol. My brother
and sister and I could go to the show for 5cents and see the serials
pictures and current events and abbott and costello. We could buy a
grab bag for two cents and get a nickles worth of candy. ahhh the memories. Mine maybe a little older but it's nice to look back.

I had an AMC Gremlin it was copper with a very light butter colored narrow stripe. It got great gas mileage. I remember sitting the gas lines hoping the station would not run out of gas before I was able to pump mine.

a side note about the Gremlin: Eventually I sold this car to my sister and we lived in the subburbs of Detroit and she worked Downtown Detroit. Anyway, she was driving to work one morning, on Jefferson Ave.(busy road that runs along Detroit River)and a commuter bus rearended her so hard it shoved her into a huge truck in front of her. The Gremlin was like an accordian. She walked away from that accident with only a bruised knee. The Gremlin was totaled. The accident was the fault of the bus driver who was traveling to fast and to close to her vehicle to stop a safe distance in the stop and go traffic.

ButtersStotch wrote:

We had an AMC Matador. I'd love one of those now!

We had a Matador station wagon. The front end was so ugly that it scared me. lol

Great Grandma who didn't start driving until she was in her 50's had a Barracuda with a Hemi I believe she totalled it.
Then got a Green Gremlin.

I had a Jeep Cherokee with the Vent windows and I do miss it very much.
I wish my CR-V had them.

As for the vent lever, I believe Billy's Suburban has that.

My first ever car (when I started driving) was a used 1963 Red Chevy Impala convertable. HOT HOT HOT!!!!! I still dream about that car. If I ever get rich I'm going to find a restored one.

My first new car was an Opal Kadet (remember those?) It was stick, and I didn't know how to drive stick...but I learned on my way home from the dealership!!!

My second was a Karmin Giah...hunter green. I LOVED that car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I still drink Tab

I drank that in high school and college...is it still good?

i have a case of tab that brian bought me but i refuse to drink it....yuck!

What a nice trip down memory lane I've had reading this thread. Now I want a perculator. I remember making coffee for my grandpa in one when I was a kid. Did your grandpa "saucer" his coffee like mine did?

Oh my heavens!!! I thought that my Grandma and Grandpa were the only ones that ever drank their coffe from a saucer. I was so intrigued by that when I was little

Pepsi's Mommy wrote:

debcram wrote:

Almost everything goes better with Vodka!

or Tequila

We just had a "retro" wine tasting party. Everyone brought their favorite wine from the day and told the stories that made everyone remember them. Boones Farm and Lambrusco were big.

Swanson's fried chicken TV dinners. MMMMmmm, Yuck.

Remember when turkey pot pies were in little metal dishes and you baked them in the oven? They were so Yummy!!! Since they modified the recipe to microwave, they suck!

And when it comes to wine....remember Annie Green Springs?

Milk bottles-our milkman Model Dairy would come
around 5:30 am--you could hear the truck's squeeky brakes
come to halt. Then, cling, clang -up the stairs with the new
bottles and out with the old.

The cream on top of the milk was the best......

I could go for a frappe right now~~~~
(In Boston English-thats a milkshake with ice cream blended in
with a syrup.
Unless you are in Rhode Island, where its an Aweful Aweful {TM})

A few Toll House cookies would be nice too

I don't remember the heavy cream on top part, but I do remember the milkman, and my sister and I fighting over the little paper cap that come over the cardboard stopper. And, whenever my father would take milk out of the fridge, he'd shake it (I suspect to mix the cream with the milk) even many years later when he drank skim. Habit!

My college roommate was from New Bedford, Ma, and in the summer I'd go visit her family. We'd have Aweful Awefuls there. Aweful thick, Aweful good (I think). Her family would also always have coffee syrup at there house to mix with milk or pour over icecream.

Mmmmmmmmmmm..........................................

debcram wrote:

I

My college roommate was from New Bedford, Ma, and in the summer I'd go visit her family. We'd have Aweful Awefuls there. Aweful thick, Aweful good (I think). Her family would also always have coffee syrup at there house to mix with milk or pour over icecream.

Mmmmmmmmmmm..........................................

Ha ha! I bet I was in the booth at Newport Creamery right next to
you Debcram! Good memory on the Awefully thick, awefully good.

Did you go to Frates (the milkbottle) for ice cream in NB????

I think it was the Newport Cremery!!! Gosh...that was so long ago (very early 70's).

I don't remember Frates, but we ate constantly, so we probably went there....and we were young (and active) so we stayed slim.

We'd go to Horseneck Beach and dig in the sand for "cohogs" (?) and her mom would cook them and stuff them.

OH! Her mom always took us to an outlet mall around there. It was the first time I'd ever heard of an outlet mall.

I'm starving now! Do you still live around there?

I just sent you a pm

I enjoyed reading everybodies posts about old terms or products. I remember saying icebox. But does anybody remember when thongs were shoes?

WCLARKE wrote:

I enjoyed reading everybodies posts about old terms or products. I remember saying icebox. But does anybody remember when thongs were shoes?

Yes I do and it is an on going joke that my granddaughter and I have. She hates it when I call "flip flops" thongs.....but we are in Florida and wear a lot of Thongs.(flip flops) So back and forth she and I go. Thanks for the chuckle!

violet wrote:

WCLARKE wrote:

I enjoyed reading everybodies posts about old terms or products. I remember saying icebox. But does anybody remember when thongs were shoes?

Yes I do and it is an on going joke that my granddaughter and I have. She hates it when I call "flip flops" thongs.....but we are in Florida and wear a lot of Thongs.(flip flops) So back and forth she and I go. Thanks for the chuckle!

my grandparents called them thongs.....i do too.....

My friend and I at work, always joke around about thongs. The younger women, think we are nuts!

(Hey, it could be!)

We used to call them thongs as kids too. Except our cousins called them flip flops and that was SO annoying. Now I've gone to the dark side and wear flips...

debcram wrote:

My friend and I at work, always joke around about thongs. The younger women, think we are nuts!

(Hey, it could be!)

Around the time of my <cough> 40th BD- My niece Abbey asked me what I wanted. She was 6 at the time. Knowing she was asking because she wanted to get me something herself- I told her I wanted a pair of red thongs- size 8. I said they weren't expensive- maybe a couple of bucks.

You guessed it- in front of the whole family- my In-Laws included- I opened a pair of bright red- size 8 underwear.

My sister-in-law said that no amount of coaxing would change Abbey's mind- she had to get me that present. It was what I had asked for.

Out of ear shot from Abbey- I simply said " I meant shoes"

My face was as red as the "flip flops"

A few months ago the electric went out for a bit in our neighborhood and my 18 year old was needing to call me for something .

Well her cell battery was low so she went to use the home phone ,of course no cordless would work with out the electric..duhhhhh .

She goes to my bedroom where I have a antique rotary phone ~ easy right ~ naaaaa she has no idea how to use it ! She puts her finger in the '0' hole and scrolls the '0' to the number she needs ( like '0' to the 2 and stops then '0' to the 7 then stops)....

I cold not stop laughing when she said " That stupid old phone in your room don't even work " .....

Antoinette

Abuckie wrote:

debcram wrote:

My friend and I at work, always joke around about thongs. The younger women, think we are nuts!

(Hey, it could be!)

Around the time of my <cough> 40th BD- My niece Abbey asked me what I wanted. She was 6 at the time. Knowing she was asking because she wanted to get me something herself- I told her I wanted a pair of red thongs- size 8. I said they weren't expensive- maybe a couple of bucks.

You guessed it- in front of the whole family- my In-Laws included- I opened a pair of bright red- size 8 underwear.

My sister-in-law said that no amount of coaxing would change Abbey's mind- she had to get me that present. It was what I had asked for.

Out of ear shot from Abbey- I simply said " I meant shoes"

My face was as red as the "flip flops"

Ahhhhhahhahhaahahhaaaaaaaaaa!!!

That is hilarious!! And yes, those sandals are called "flip-flops." Thongs are the underware with no backside. I'm sure you haven't heard of that annoying song, "Let me see that thong..." but I assure you it wasn't referring to shoes! ("Let me see those flip-flops! That flip-flip-flip-flop!"... Haa!)